


Only Love Can Save The World

by emdaro



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, Wonder Woman AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-06 18:22:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12823374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emdaro/pseuds/emdaro
Summary: “I uh….I didn’t get a chance to thank you before. For dragging me out of the water.”“Thank you for what you did on the beach. It was…brave.” Jack’s eyes focused on the object in Crutchie’s hands. “What is that? Is it a helmet? Doesn’t look very sturdy.”Charlie looked down. “This? Oh, this is a hat. My dad gave it to me, before he died. I used to sell newspapers and it was kind of part of the uniform."





	Only Love Can Save The World

_Long ago, when time was new and all of history was still a dream, the gods ruled the earth. Zeus king among them. He created beings over which the Gods would rule. Beings born in his image fair and good, strong and passionate. He called his creation "Man". And mankind was good. But Zeus' son grew envious of mankind and sought to corrupt his father's creation. This was Ares, the God of War. Ares poisoned men's hearts with jealousy and suspicion. He turned them against one another and war ravaged the Earth. So, the gods created us, the Amazons, to influence men's hearts with love and restore peace to the Earth. And for a brief time, there was peace. But it did not last. Your mother, The Amazon Queen, led a revolt that freed us all from enslavement. When Zeus led the gods to our defense, Ares killed them one by one until only Zeus himself remained. Zeus used the last of his power to stop Ares, striking such a blow, the god of war was forced to retreat. But Zeus knew, that one day Ares might return to finish his mission. An endless war, where mankind would finally destroy themselves and us with them. So Zeus left us a weapon, one powerful enough to kill a god. Only the fiercest among us could ever wield it…_

Jack knew he was special.

It wasn’t just being the only child and only boy on an island full of grown women. It was more than that. His mother sculpted him out of clay and prayed for Zeus to bring him to life, she wanted him so much. He knew that was special. He could tell in the way that Antiope trained him, harder than any of the others. He could see the way the women adored him, how they loved him. But he could also see the difference in how they treated him, careful with him always. Jack, Prince of the Amazons, knew that it was these things and more that made him special. He could feel it in the tingle that went through him when his mother spoke of the God Killer, the weapon gifted to them from Zeus to defend against Ares. He didn’t understand that it was his being special that would drag him away from the island, his mother, and the rest of his family.

Jack was on a break from training, taking a little walk along the cliffs that overlooked the sea. He enjoyed the ocean. It was calm, serene and blue and stretching on as far as he could see. His mother would tell him stories about the ocean, the great sea god Poseidon who was also slaughtered in the war against Ares. He loved his home. Themyscira was an absolute paradise, his mother was correct. He silently thanked the gods for providing them with such a place, a home where they could be safe.

He was broken out of his thoughts by a whirring sound. His eyes shot up and he stared over the sea, searching for the source of the sound. There was a ripple in the air and suddenly, a …thing appeared in the sky. It looked like some type of giant bird, with smoke coming out of it and bits of debris flying off into the air. It crashed into the sea, sending ripples around it as it slowly sank into the water.

Jack hesitated a moment, battling between curiosity and his sense of self preservation. In the end, curiosity won out. He dove into the sea, swimming steadily towards the strange object. It was no bird. It was completely foreign, some type of flying machine. He swam quicker and his heart sped up as he saw there was someone inside it. Not just someone, it was another man. The first one Jack had ever seen. He was unconscious, eyes shut and arms drifting through the sea as he sank towards the bottom. Jack swam faster and tugged him free, swimming towards the surface quickly. Their heads broke the surface and Jack inhaled deeply, making sure the other man’s face and head were above the water. He swam towards shore, tugging his passenger along. He dragged the man onto the sandy beach and laid him down, examining his face eagerly. The man was beautiful. Sandy blonde hair, much like Jack’s mothers, was plastered against his forehead where it stuck out from beneath his cap. It was short, unlike any hair Jack had ever seen. He reached back and touched his own long braid, which trailed halfway down his back. Did other men have short hair? He gently touched his fingers against the man’s cheek, feeling a hint of stubble. He jumped back slightly as the man coughed up some water and opened his eyes, looking around frantically before focusing on Jack’s face.

“You’re a man.” The wonder was obvious in Jack’s face as he stared, awestruck.

“Uh…yeah. I mean, don’t I look like one?” The man sat up slightly and looked around. “Where are we?”

“Themyscira.” Jack replied confidently, not taking his eyes from the man’s face. “Who are you?”

There was a shout behind them and the man jumped to his feet. “I’m one of the good guys. Those are the bad guys, the Germans. We need to move.”

“The Germans?” Jack had never heard of such a thing, in all his reading. Giant ships sailed towards them, along with smaller boats containing more men.

“Jack!” Jack’s mother appeared on horseback, joined by the rest of the Amazons. “Step away from him!” It was then that she noticed the boats, the men sailing towards the shore. “Ready your bows!”

“Come on!” The man grabbed Jack’s hand and tugged him behind the rocks, watching as the Amazons fired arrows at the boats. “They have guns, don’t they?”

Jack assumed that guns were what the men were firing back at the Amazons, weapons that shot tiny metal arrows at a great speed. He watched in horror as one Amazon was shot down as they jumped from the cliffs. Horses rode in, led by Antiope. The battle raged on but seemed to turn in the Amazons’ favor. Antiope and her warriors were a force to be reckoned, each one taking out multiple Germans in a single stroke. The man raced out and wrestled a gun from one of the German troops, shooting at them and joining the ranks of the Amazons. Jack edged out from the shelter of the rock and grabbed a bow, firing at one of the Germans. The arrow connected and the soldier was brought down. It was the first time Jack had killed. He grabbed the sword of a fallen warrior and fought another one off, killing him with a swipe across the chest. It was simple, the same as training. He focused on the task at hand, sending a few more soldiers down. The battle was slowing down. Only a few Germans remained, their bodies littered across the beach along with the fallen Amazons. Jack took out one last solider and took a moment to breathe, staring at the carnage.

“NO!” He heard a scream and whipped around in time to see Antiope leap in front of a bullet that was clearly meant for him.

“No!” Jack sprinted and slid to his knees in front of Antiope. Shots rang out around them but he vaguely heard them, focused on the blood that coated Antiope’s side. “No, no, Antiope…”

“Jack…” Antiope grabbed his hand, clinging to it. “The…The time has come. You…You must…”

“What, Antiope?” Jack cupped her face with his free hand, tears filling his eyes. She was dying and there was nothing he could do about it.

“The God Killer. Jack, go. Go…” The light drained from Antiope’s eyes and her grip on Jack’s hand slackened.

“Go where? Antiope, go where?” Jack clung to her body. “No…no….no!” He looked up, desperately searching for help. There was none. Antiope, the fiercest warrior the Amazons had ever seen and Jack’s beloved aunt, was dead.

***

Jack was furious. He ran from his mother, away from the women refusing to take action and ignoring their mission. His mother’s words rang in his ears.

_Men are easily corrupted._

_There is much you do not understand._

_You are not an Amazon like the rest of us. You will do nothing. As your Queen I forbid it._

The interrogation of the man that Jack pulled to shore went well, in Jack’s opinion. He learned a lot. His name was Charlie Morris and he was a captain in the American army, wherever America was. He was a spy sent to collect information on the Germans, who were building great and terrible weapons. He was chased down after stealing the plans for a terrible gas that would kill thousands if it was unleashed. There was a war going on, a world war. The war to end all wars. Millions dead, women and children slaughtered. Home destroyed and villages decimated. Jack was absolutely convinced that it was Ares behind the war. His mother and the others refused to see sense. He slowed as he approached the cave where the man was being kept. It wasn’t his intention to go there, but his feet had carried him. He longed to talk to the man- Charlie- again. He glanced behind him, then made his way into the cave.

Charlie was just climbing out of the pools of water when Jack walked into the cave. He spluttered and quickly moved to cover himself. “Don’t you people knock?”

Jack ignored him and examined his body with great interest. He was built much like Jack, but a bit…softer. His wooden leg was off to the side, revealing a stump that ended just above the knee. “Do all men look like you?”

Charlie seemed surprised by the question. He carefully inched down and dried himself, fastening his leg back on. “Not all men, no. I mean, some do. We all look different.”

Jack nodded. “So all men do not have one leg?”

Charlie laughed slightly. “No. No, most have two legs. I lost mine when I was a kid to polio.”

“Polio?” Jack tilted his head to the side questioningly.

“It’s a disease. Killed a lot of people. I was lucky.” Charlie shrugged. “I uh….I didn’t get a chance to thank you before. For dragging me out of the water.”

“Thank you for what you did on the beach. It was…brave.” Jack’s eyes focused on the object in Crutchie’s hands. “What is that? Is it a helmet? Doesn’t look very sturdy.”

Charlie looked down. “This? Oh, this is a hat. My dad gave it to me, before he died. I used to sell newspapers and it was kind of part of the uniform.” He smiled slightly. “So, am I allowed to leave here?”

Jack sighed. “I tried. I tried to convince them, I even asked to go with you.” He blushed. “I mean, all of us. Amazons. The Amazons.” He looked down. “My mother thinks it’s too dangerous.”

“Can’t say I blame her.” Charlie got to his feet and pulled on his shirt, buttoning it. “The way this is going, I wouldn’t want anyone I care about near it.”

Jack tilted his head to the side in confusion. “Then why do you want to go back?”

Charlie huffed a laugh. “I don’t think want is the right word. My father once said that if you something wrong happening in the world, you can either do nothing or you can do something.” He shrugged. “I already tried nothing.”

Jack stared at him for a few moments, then turned and ran out of the cave. He knew what he had to do. Charlie Morris was right. There was a choice, between doing something and nothing. Jack had to do something. An hour later, on a boat sailing away from the only world Jack had ever known and with the God Killer pressed against his side, Jack knew he made the right choice. If he would not fight for the defenseless, who would?

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all liked it! This is my first multichapter fic in the Newsies universe, so I hope you all enjoy. Please comment/leave kudos if you do! Next chapter will be up soon!


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